Practical lenses for fibres are usually small optical ball lenses which are commercially available. However, despite their compact size they are still relatively large compared to the fibre, which presents a number of alignment difficulties when incorporated into integrated systems. Tedious methods of fabricating such lenses include polishing and melting the fibre end, although the results are most often less than desirable.
There is therefore a need for micro-optical lenses for optical fibres that are commensurate with the fibre dimensions and are easier to align. Ideally the lenses should be low-cost.